title: Sensitivity, specificity and clinical relevance of different cross-matching assays in deceased-donor renal transplantation.
abstract: To assess the significance of antibodies detected by complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), solid phase (SPA) and flow cytometry (FC) assays we compared their predictive value in 354 consecutive cases of deceased-donor kidney transplantation. Pre-transplantation screening of anti-HLA class I and class II antibodies was performed by CDC and SPA. The direct crossmatch between recipients' sera and donors' T and B cells was performed by CDC followed by FC and SPA ("virtual cross-match"). The past history of antibodies displayed by the recipient was not considered a contraindication for transplantation even when it showed DSA. A side-by-side comparison of the correlation between graft loss, history of DSA and cross-match results indicated that sensitivity was 5%, 16% and 17% while specificity was 99%, 93% and 86% in CDC, SPA, FC crossmatches respectively. There was no significant difference between the 3 year survival of primary and secondary kidney allografts. We conclude that screening and cross-matching the sera by CDC provides reliable results and optimizes the patient's chances to receive a transplant. SPA and FC, however, are of great importance for identifying patients which require close monitoring by biopsy and serology for early diagnosis and treatment of acute antibody mediated rejection (AAMR).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Vasilescu
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Colovai
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Stokes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hallar
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Markowitz
authors.forename: V D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: D'Agati
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Ratner
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suciu-Foca
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002102:Cadaver; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000276:immunology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology*; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007518:Isoantibodies; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D016559:Tacrolimus